Easel picture-frame



(No Model.)

M. A. T. GILLBEE. EASEL PICTURE FRAME.

No. 547,377. Patented Oct. 1, 1895.

Jnvemtvr Witnesse; WM 25 ANDREW lGRAHAM. PHOTO-L|TNO.WASHINGI'ON. 0.0

MANUEL A. T. GI'LLBEE, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

EASEL PICTU RE-FRAM E.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 547,377, dated October 1, 1895. Application filed March 29,1895. Serial No. 543.700. (N0 model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, MANUEL A. T. GILLBEE, a citizen of the United States, residing in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, have invented certain Improvements in Easel Picture Frames, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates mainly to that class of easel picture-frames which have a supportingleg formed by cutting and bending the material of which the back of the frame is composed, and a brace for said leg, also formed by cutting and bending the material of the back, the objects of my invention being to so construct such an easel-frame as to insure the rigid retention of the supporting-leg by the brace, to provide for the proper support of the frame, and to permit of the ready insertion and removal of the card or picture for which the frame is intended.

Certain features of the invention are also applicable to that class of cards in which the supporting-leg and brace are secured to the back of the card, instead of being cut out of the same.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of an easel picture-frame embodying the features of my invention. Fig. 2 is a vertical section of said frame. Fig. 3 is a View of the card constituting the back of the frame, illustrating the method of cutting the same in accordance with my invention; and Fig. 4 is a perspective view of a leg and brace adapted to be secured to the back of a card.

The ordinary easel picture-frame is composed of a face-card, a filling-card, and a backing-card, the usual backing-card having formed in it four substantially-vertical incisions, so as to form a pair of supporting-legs, extending outward from the top portion of the card, and a brace-finger, extending outward from the bottom portion of the card, said finger being provided with notches to receive the inner edges of the legs. There are two principal objections to this form of card, the first being that the legs must be sprung out from the top of the card, so that the portion constituting the hinge is constantly subjected to strain and is therefore liable to be torn loose, the constant tension on the legs being necessary in order to hold the bracein respect to the other is prevented and the v necessity of keeping the legs under constant tension is obviated. I also very considerably modify the cutting of the card constituting the back of the frame,in.order to attain certain other advantageous features'to which I have before alluded, Figs. 1 and 3, illustrating the modified plan of cutting which I prefer to adopt. In this case the incisions for forming the supporting-leg a are made in the upper half of the back-card A, while the incisions for forming the brace-finger b are made mainly in the lower half of the card, the supporting-leg being turned down on a line at or near the center of the card and the finger being bent outward from the lower portion of the card, so as to engage with the opposite edges of a recess 9, formed in thesupportingleg, said recesss having notches f, and the brace-finger 1) having notches at, so as to provide for the mutual locking of the supporting-leg and brace.

By turning the supporting-finger down from the upper portion of the card and forming the hinge at the bottom of the incision, whereby said supporting-leg is produced, the strain due to the outward spring of the legs of the ordinary card is entirely overcome and the riskof tearing the card is thus avoided. I also prefer to make the top incision 2' in the back-card in the form of a segment and to likewise segmentally shape the top of the opening formed in the body-card B, so that the supporting-leg a will have a rounded bottom m, and there will be, at the top of the card, a recess m, which permits ready access 7 to the upper edge of the card or picture inserted in the frame, so that the latter can be readily grasped when it is desired to remove the same.

The rounded bottom of the supporting-leg provides for the proper support of the frame,

even if the bottom of the frame itself is not exactly true, whereas the usual legs providing a double and separated support for the card are frequently tilted by reason of the bottom of the frame being crooked, so as to elevate one of the legs and deprive it of its supporting function. I prefer to leave slotted webs n in the upper corners of the backcard beyond the opening formed by cutting out the leg (1, these slotted webs being bent down into the opening in the body-card B of the frame, so as to provide a rest for the upper corners of the card or picture inserted in the frame, and thereby prevent the upper edge of said card or picture from being pushed so deeply into the frame as to prevent ready access thereto through the recess m.

In the construction shown in Fig. 4. the leg 0. and brace-finger b are adapted to be secured to the back of a card instead of being cut out of the same, said leg and finger forming part of a card A which constitutes the equivalent of the lower part of the backcard A.

Having thus described my invention, I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent 1. A picture or picture frame support consisting of a card having its upper portion folded and bent backward and downward to form a supporting leg, and a brace finger formed by cutting and bending outward a portion of the card below said fold, substantially as specified.

2. An easel picture frame consisting of a card having a supporting leg formed by cutting the upper portion of the back of the card and bending down the cut portion so as to form the hinge at the bottom of the opening in said back card, and a brace finger formed by cutting and bending a portion of the card below the opening from which the supporting leg is cut, substantially as specified.

3. A picture or picture frame support, consisting of a card having its upper portion folded and bent downward so as to form a supporting leg and a brace finger formed by cutting and bending outward a portion of the card below said fold, said supporting leg having a rounded bottom edge, substantially as specified.

4. An easel picture frame consisting of a card having a back, a face, and an interposed body recessed for the reception of the picture, the back of the card being cut so as to form asupporting leg bent backward from an opening formed in the upper part of the card, and

- a brace finger bent outward from a portion of the card below said opening, the top of the opening in the back and body of the card having a curved portion forming a recess where by access may be had to the top edge of the picture inserted in the opening of the body card, substantially as specified.

5. An easel picture frame consisting of a card comprising a face, a recessed body, and a back, said back being cut and bent so as to form a supporting leg projecting downwardly from the bottom of the opening whereby it is formed, a brace finger formed in that portionof the back which is below said opening, and slotted webs bent down into the upper corners of the opening in the body of the card, substantially as specified.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

MANUEL A. T. GILLBEE.

Witnesses:

FRANK E. BEoHToLD, JosnrH I-I. KLEIN. 

